XDSuprise

dayman · December 8, 2012, 05:59 PM

So, I finally finished shingling the house, and as a reward the little wifey said I could get myself a new gun. I've been wanting something between my BG380 and my PPQ for carry, so I went to the shop fully intending to get a glock 36. However, right before I bought the glock, the salesman had me hold an (extremely lightly) used XDS in .45acp, and it was love at first sight. It also wound up costing a couple hundred less than the new Glock.
Don't get me wrong, I still really like the G36, and will get one eventually, but the XDS seemed considerably thinner while still having - for me at least - a comfortable grip. So, since it will be easier to keep inside the ol' pants I opted to get it.

One odd thing I noticed is that while I liked the short grip, I really did not like the way it felt with the extended grip/mag. It somehow made the grip feel more blocky.

I have not yet had a chance to fire it, but I'll be sure to post how that goes tomorrow.
One thing I've already noticed is that the trigger isn't great. It's okay, but not great. I figure I'm going to wait to see how/if it effects the shooting before I decide to do anything, but if I do change it I'd be happy for suggestions. I know there's an easy trigger solution for M&P's, but I'm not sure what's out there for XDs.

mk70ss · December 8, 2012, 06:53 PM

I have an XDs and love it. Never had any malfunctions or problems with it. I was carrying it until I found a Colt New Agent Talo edition 1911. The Colt is no better than my XDs, but I love the 1911 platform and the trigger of a single action and night sights made me put te XDs in the safe and the Colt in my holster. Good luck with yours, they are nice pistols!

dayman · December 9, 2012, 05:59 PM

So, I was able to go out back and put 120 rounds through it this after noon. 100 rounds of WWB, and 20 of critical defense without a hitch. I'll put another 100 or so through it before it turns into my EDC, but I have no doubt now that that's going to happen.

I did have a couple of concerns, but after shooting it I"m convinced theyre going to be non issues.

First, the capacity. It's only 5+1, but I found that the mags are small enough that they're almost unnotacible in my vest pockets, so with one on each side I'm carrying 16 rounds of .45 - and with 3 mags a lot would have to go wrong for the gun to be inoperable. I could up that a bit more by carrying the 7 rounders, but I don't like the way they feel.

Second, the recoil. It's a small gun that shoots a big round, so I was a bit concerned. As it turns out - whether from the short barrel, or the geometry of the design - it's really not that bad. I'd rate the recould somewhere between .38spcl and .357mag through my sp101. You definitly know when it goes off, but my hand felt fine after 120 rounds, and it came back down plenty fast for decent follow ups.

Third, the trigger. As I'd said before it's not great. However, as it turns out it's somehow better with live ammo than it is with a snap cap. It could definitly have a cleaner break, but it didn't really seem to effect accuracy. I was able to keep all my shots pretty much on top of each other in slow fire (shooting steel, so I didn't measure groups), and double taps within a few inches. I didn't buy the gun to win any bulls eye contests, and with it's currwent trigger it's more than accurate enough for any likely SD scenerio.

So all in all I'm pretty sure I've found my new EDC.
The only thing I can think of that I don't like are the sights - in that they're not night sights. The fiber optics work great to a point, but I did loose my sights before I lost my target shooting it this evening. So, that's a relitively easy fix.

Anyway, that's my take. Definitly worth a look if you're shopping for a slim CCW that packs a punch - and I beleive they're avalable in 9mm or .40 as well.

Rmart30 · December 9, 2012, 07:36 PM

I bought mine right after they first came out. I love it, been great so far. Very easy to conceal piece. I too was expecting hi recoil from such a small gun. Its way easier on recoil imo then my keltec PF9

dayman · March 7, 2013, 08:22 PM

I know this is a bit of a zombie thread, but I didn't feel like typing everything up again, so a reply seemed the easiest way to go.

At this point I've been carrying (and shooting as often as I can get ammo) my XDs for a few months, and like it even more than I did when I bought it. Not a single failure, and still far more accurate than any of my other CC guns. With the Peirce extension it shoots like a much bigger gun.
The biggest advantage is - obviously - it's size. I carry it at about 5:00, and even when I'm sitting down I could nearly forget it's there. I do still need to upgrade to a better holster, so I imagine it's carriability (lets pretend that's a word) will only improve.
I did wind up changing out the springs with the powder river kit. It took some time, but seems to have marginally improved the already serviceable trigger. I also added a powder river rubber grip decal thing. It was very cheap, and makes the grip a little more "sticky" without adding anything in the way of bulk - I highly recommend it.
Lastly I did wind up installing Trijicon night sights. They were something of a bear to do, but less of bear than driving an hour or so to have a gunsmith do it. Lots of lube and some time in the freezer did the trick.

Anyway, if you're in the market for an awesome gun, I highly recommend this one.

57K · March 8, 2013, 12:06 AM

Congrats! Most of the shooters that buy the XDs agree with you about the relatively low recoil compared to the size of the pistol. There's a member at XD Talk who has done reviews with video shooting the XDs with +P ammo. If you haven't joined yet, I invite you to become a member at XD Talk. Sounds like you may have already been there since you know about PRP. I have one of their trigger kits in my XDm 4.5 in .45 ACP and it is outstanding.

ccwnut · March 9, 2013, 03:35 PM

Well, with a capacity of 5+1, I think I'll stick with a Glock 26. I have 11 shots on tap, and with two ten round mags I have 31 shots. Yeah, that sounds MUCH better! Plus, six to 13 shots (with a spare mag)? I'd rather carry a revolver for that kind of capacity!

dayman · March 12, 2013, 10:43 AM

It's actually only 11 with the spare mag. 5+5+1. You can get bigger mags - 7 rounds I think, but I'm okay with the 5.
The advantage - at least in my mind - over the G26 is the width. It's surprising what a small difference on paper can feel like tucked into the back of your pants. With my personal style of dress, the width of my CC tends to be the dimension than either makes or breaks it.
The advantage over a revolver is the weight (at least over my sp101), and also the speed that I can reload. I carry the .357 in the woods, but for town the XDs works better for me.

I actually heard about PRP here - on another post about someones new XDS. One gun forum is all I have time to handle. I'm not usually big on changing much on my carry gun other than sights, but they had such universally good reviews I decided to go for it. I didn't actually notice a whole lot of a difference, but it was enough that my groups tightened up a little.

December 8, 2012, 05:59 PM	#1
dayman Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2011 Location: The Woods Posts: 1,197	XDs[uprise] - first thoughts/range report So, I finally finished shingling the house, and as a reward the little wifey said I could get myself a new gun. I've been wanting something between my BG380 and my PPQ for carry, so I went to the shop fully intending to get a glock 36. However, right before I bought the glock, the salesman had me hold an (extremely lightly) used XDS in .45acp, and it was love at first sight. It also wound up costing a couple hundred less than the new Glock. Don't get me wrong, I still really like the G36, and will get one eventually, but the XDS seemed considerably thinner while still having - for me at least - a comfortable grip. So, since it will be easier to keep inside the ol' pants I opted to get it. One odd thing I noticed is that while I liked the short grip, I really did not like the way it felt with the extended grip/mag. It somehow made the grip feel more blocky. I have not yet had a chance to fire it, but I'll be sure to post how that goes tomorrow. One thing I've already noticed is that the trigger isn't great. It's okay, but not great. I figure I'm going to wait to see how/if it effects the shooting before I decide to do anything, but if I do change it I'd be happy for suggestions. I know there's an easy trigger solution for M&P's, but I'm not sure what's out there for XDs. __________________ si vis pacem para bellum Last edited by dayman; December 10, 2012 at 05:26 PM.

December 9, 2012, 05:59 PM	#3
dayman Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2011 Location: The Woods Posts: 1,197	So, I was able to go out back and put 120 rounds through it this after noon. 100 rounds of WWB, and 20 of critical defense without a hitch. I'll put another 100 or so through it before it turns into my EDC, but I have no doubt now that that's going to happen. I did have a couple of concerns, but after shooting it I"m convinced theyre going to be non issues. First, the capacity. It's only 5+1, but I found that the mags are small enough that they're almost unnotacible in my vest pockets, so with one on each side I'm carrying 16 rounds of .45 - and with 3 mags a lot would have to go wrong for the gun to be inoperable. I could up that a bit more by carrying the 7 rounders, but I don't like the way they feel. Second, the recoil. It's a small gun that shoots a big round, so I was a bit concerned. As it turns out - whether from the short barrel, or the geometry of the design - it's really not that bad. I'd rate the recould somewhere between .38spcl and .357mag through my sp101. You definitly know when it goes off, but my hand felt fine after 120 rounds, and it came back down plenty fast for decent follow ups. Third, the trigger. As I'd said before it's not great. However, as it turns out it's somehow better with live ammo than it is with a snap cap. It could definitly have a cleaner break, but it didn't really seem to effect accuracy. I was able to keep all my shots pretty much on top of each other in slow fire (shooting steel, so I didn't measure groups), and double taps within a few inches. I didn't buy the gun to win any bulls eye contests, and with it's currwent trigger it's more than accurate enough for any likely SD scenerio. So all in all I'm pretty sure I've found my new EDC. The only thing I can think of that I don't like are the sights - in that they're not night sights. The fiber optics work great to a point, but I did loose my sights before I lost my target shooting it this evening. So, that's a relitively easy fix. Anyway, that's my take. Definitly worth a look if you're shopping for a slim CCW that packs a punch - and I beleive they're avalable in 9mm or .40 as well. __________________ si vis pacem para bellum

March 7, 2013, 08:22 PM	#5
dayman Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2011 Location: The Woods Posts: 1,197	Update I know this is a bit of a zombie thread, but I didn't feel like typing everything up again, so a reply seemed the easiest way to go. At this point I've been carrying (and shooting as often as I can get ammo) my XDs for a few months, and like it even more than I did when I bought it. Not a single failure, and still far more accurate than any of my other CC guns. With the Peirce extension it shoots like a much bigger gun. The biggest advantage is - obviously - it's size. I carry it at about 5:00, and even when I'm sitting down I could nearly forget it's there. I do still need to upgrade to a better holster, so I imagine it's carriability (lets pretend that's a word) will only improve. I did wind up changing out the springs with the powder river kit. It took some time, but seems to have marginally improved the already serviceable trigger. I also added a powder river rubber grip decal thing. It was very cheap, and makes the grip a little more "sticky" without adding anything in the way of bulk - I highly recommend it. Lastly I did wind up installing Trijicon night sights. They were something of a bear to do, but less of bear than driving an hour or so to have a gunsmith do it. Lots of lube and some time in the freezer did the trick. Anyway, if you're in the market for an awesome gun, I highly recommend this one. __________________ si vis pacem para bellum

March 9, 2013, 03:35 PM	#7
ccwnut Member Join Date: September 21, 2012 Location: The United States Posts: 95	Well, with a capacity of 5+1, I think I'll stick with a Glock 26. I have 11 shots on tap, and with two ten round mags I have 31 shots. Yeah, that sounds MUCH better! Plus, six to 13 shots (with a spare mag)? I'd rather carry a revolver for that kind of capacity! __________________ "Those who would sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."- Benjamin Franklin

March 12, 2013, 10:43 AM	#8
dayman Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2011 Location: The Woods Posts: 1,197	It's actually only 11 with the spare mag. 5+5+1. You can get bigger mags - 7 rounds I think, but I'm okay with the 5. The advantage - at least in my mind - over the G26 is the width. It's surprising what a small difference on paper can feel like tucked into the back of your pants. With my personal style of dress, the width of my CC tends to be the dimension than either makes or breaks it. The advantage over a revolver is the weight (at least over my sp101), and also the speed that I can reload. I carry the .357 in the woods, but for town the XDs works better for me. I actually heard about PRP here - on another post about someones new XDS. One gun forum is all I have time to handle. I'm not usually big on changing much on my carry gun other than sights, but they had such universally good reviews I decided to go for it. I didn't actually notice a whole lot of a difference, but it was enough that my groups tightened up a little. __________________ si vis pacem para bellum

December 8, 2012, 06:53 PM	#2
mk70ss Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2008 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,598	I have an XDs and love it. Never had any malfunctions or problems with it. I was carrying it until I found a Colt New Agent Talo edition 1911. The Colt is no better than my XDs, but I love the 1911 platform and the trigger of a single action and night sights made me put te XDs in the safe and the Colt in my holster. Good luck with yours, they are nice pistols!

December 9, 2012, 07:36 PM	#4
Rmart30 Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2008 Posts: 602	I bought mine right after they first came out. I love it, been great so far. Very easy to conceal piece. I too was expecting hi recoil from such a small gun. Its way easier on recoil imo then my keltec PF9

March 8, 2013, 12:06 AM	#6
57K Junior member Join Date: March 2, 2013 Location: Heart of Texas Posts: 788	Congrats! Most of the shooters that buy the XDs agree with you about the relatively low recoil compared to the size of the pistol. There's a member at XD Talk who has done reviews with video shooting the XDs with +P ammo. If you haven't joined yet, I invite you to become a member at XD Talk. Sounds like you may have already been there since you know about PRP. I have one of their trigger kits in my XDm 4.5 in .45 ACP and it is outstanding.